Animated display with a figure on a wheel



FIG.I

Nov. 26, 1963 M. s. FROIS ETAL 3,111,781

ANIMATED DISPLAY WITH A FIGURE ON A WHEEL Filed Feb. 27, 1962 United States Patent 3,111,781 ANEMATED DESPLAY WITH A FIGURE ON A WHEEL Mauricio S. Frois and Irving Sherman, New York, N.Y., assignors to Timely Service, inc Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Feb. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 176,032 7 Claims. (6i. ell-28.6)

The present invention relates to an animated display, and particularly to an animated display which is especially adapted for use indoors, as in retail establishments, or in any other indoor premise where a great number of transients pass, and is especially directed to the provision of an animated display that is activated by the persons entering and leaving the premises, through a door thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an animated display of the character described consisting of a moving figure or object which is caused to move toward or away from a person entering or leaving the premises, by the opening and closing of the entrance door thereof, to thereby attract the attention of the person entering the premises as well as others, to the display.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an animated display, of the character described, which may carry advertising material that may be readily and easily removed and installed to enable the changing thereof from time to time.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an animated display, of the character described, which is of striking appearance and is bound to attract attention to itself and to the advertising material carried thereby, to thereby make it a highly effective advertising medium.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an animated display of the character described which is capable of being formed in a great variety of attractive forms and shapes.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an animated display, of the character described, which is of relatively simple construction, easy and economical to produce, and easy and economical to install.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the animated display of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a more or less schematic elevation showing the animated display device mounted in a structure for operation by the opening and shutting of a door into the structure; and

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the plane of line 22 of FIG. 1.

Generally stated, the invention consists of a figure or representation of an article mounted on a wheel or Wheels and counter-weighed so that when the wheel is mounted on a wire or cord, the figure or object will remain in erect position thereon, the cord being secured at one end in fixed position and having at its other end yieldable tensioning means that will normally hold it taut, and also, adjacent its other end, a pull cord that is attached to a door; the wheel mounting wire or cord being normally disposed at a slight slope towards its anchoring point and being depressible by the pull-cord when the door is opened to slope in the direction of the door, or vice versa.

Referring now in greater detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the same shows a grooved wheel 10 rotatably mounted on an axle 12 to which are secured a pair of rods 14, one to each side of the wheel, and extending beyond it, which rods mount a figurine 18 to one side of the wheel 10' and a counterbalancing weight 20 at the opposed side of the Wheel.

The wheel 10 is mounted, by its groove, on a cable 22, one end or" which is fixedly secured, as at 24, to a wall 26, and the other end of which is secured to yieldable tensioning means, which, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, consists of an elastic band 28; the cable 24 being secured to one end of the band 28 and the other end of the band being secured to a structure wall 30, in proximity to a door 32, hingedly supported in an opening in said wall 30.

The elastic band 28 may be secured to the wall 30 at a level different from the anchorage 24 of the cable; such point being shown in the drawing to be at a higher level, so that in normal position the wheel 10- and the figurine 18 or other object supported thereon tends to roll on the cable in the direction of the wall 26. A pull cable or cord 36 which may be connected to the cable 22 adjacent the tensioning means and may be integral with the cable 22, is connected directly or indirectly, as through one or more screw eyes set in the wall 30, to the door 32 in a manner that when the door is opened the adjacent end of the cable 22 is tilted to an angle which will cause the wheel 10 to roll away from its normal position, which, in the illustrated embodiment, is towards the door 32 when it is opened.

Advertising or display material such as the sign board 46 may be supported on the rods 14 below the cable 22, as illustrated, or above it, if desired.

It may here be stated that while the movable object is illustrated in the drawing as being supported on a a single wheel, it will be readily apparent that it may be supported on a plurality of wheels whose axles may be interconnected with either one or more of them being counterbalanced for retaining them in erect position. It will also be apparent that the yieldable tensioning means for the cable 22 may be in a form other than an elastic band, as a coil spring, or a weight which is connected to the end of the cable 22, over a pulley, in a manner that will be readily understood and not thought necessary to be here shown.

This completes the description of the animated display of the present invention and the operating means therefor. It will be readily apparent that such display is capable of numerous variations; that it is of relatively simple construction and may be quickly and easily installed; that it is of great attention-attracting characteristic and that the manner of its mounting will ensure the attraction and the attention of each individual passing through a door by which the display is activated, as well as others in the premises.

It will be further apparent that numerous variations and modifications may be made in the animated display of the invention, in accordance with the principles thereof hereinabove set forth, and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. We desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations and modifications that may be made within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What we claim is:

1. An animated display for a structure including a pair of walls and a door hingedly supported in an opening in one of said walls, said display comprising a cable secured at one end to the other of said walls said cable including a yieldable tensioning means and secured at its other end on the other of said Walls, and means conmeeting said cable to said door to thereby change the angle of said cable relative to said one wall upon opening, and closing of said door, and a display device movable on said cable, said display device including a grooved wheel riding on said cable and an axle in said wheel and means on said axle supporting a display object and a counter-weight whereby said wheel is maintained in vertical position on said cable.

2. An animated display for a structure, said structure including a pair of walls and a door hingedly supported in an opening in one of said walls, said display comprising a cable secured by one end to the other of said walls, a yieldable tensioning means supported on the other of said Walls and connected to said cable adjacent said one wall to normally support said cable at an angle to the horizontal, a pull cord connected to said cable at a point adjacent its connection to said yieldable tensioning means, said pull cord attached to said door in position to move the other end of said cable against resistance of said tensioning means to dispose said cable at an angle to the horizontal opposed to said normal angle and a movable display member supported on said cable, said member comprising a Wheel having an axle freely disposed at the center thereof, and a figure and balancing Weight mounted on said axle, said wheel supported on said cable for movement thereon upon the changing of the angle of said cable to the horizontal on the opening and closing of said door.

3. The animated display of claim 2, wherein said wheel is supported above said cable, said figure is supported above said wheel and the counter-balancing weight is supported on said axle in diametrically opposed relation to said figure.

4. The animated display of claim 2, wherein said pull cord is integrally connected to said cable.

5. The animated display of claim 1, w erein a display card bearing advertising material is supported on said movable member.

6. The animated display of claim 2, wherein said yieldable tensioning means comprises a coil spring secured by one end to said first wall and by its other end to said cable.

7. The animated display of claim 2, wherein said yieldable tensioning means is supported on said one wall at a level above said one end of said cable whereby said movable body is normally disposed adjacent said one end of said cable when said door is closed and moves on said cable towards said door when said door is opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 70,850 Humans Nov. 12, 1867 785,490 Hills Mar. 21, 1905 941,695 Chadbourne et al Nov. 30, 1909 

1. AN ANIMATED DISPLAY FOR A STRUCTURE INCLUDING A PAIR OF WALLS AND A DOOR HINGEDLY SUPPORTED IN AN OPENING IN ONE OF SAID WALLS, SAID DISPLAY COMPRISING A CABLE SECURED AT ONE END TO THE OTHER OF SAID WALLS SAID CABLE INCLUDING A YIELDABLE TENSIONING MEANS AND SECURED AT ITS OTHER END ON THE OTHER OF SAID WALLS, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID CABLE TO SAID DOOR TO THEREBY CHANGE THE ANGLE OF SAID CABLE RELATIVE TO SAID ONE WALL UPON OPENING, AND CLOSING OF SAID DOOR, AND A DISPLAY DEVICE MOVABLE ON SAID CABLE, SAID DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING A GROOVED WHEEL RIDING ON SAID CABLE AND AN AXLE IN SAID WHEEL AND MEANS ON SAID AXLE SUPPORTING A DISPLAY OBJECT AND A COUNTER-WEIGHT WHEREBY SAID WHEEL IS MAINTAINED IN VERTICAL POSITION ON SAID CABLE. 